Emma Raducanu has said she will be okay after being followed by a man exhibiting "abnormal behavior" at the Dubai Tennis Championships, calling it a "difficult experience." A visibly upset Raducanu was seen hiding behind the umpire's chair during her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova, highlighting the distress caused by the incident.
Read Also...:
'Romance scam on steroids': US woman accused of targeting older men in a deadly scheme
02-23, 2025
Elon Musk says all federal workers must explain what they did last week or risk being fired
02-23, 2025
Police officer killed, five other people wounded after gunman holds Pennsylvania hospital staff hostage
02-23, 2025
Perth grandma extradited from UK after allegedly stealing $1.6 million
02-23, 2025The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) stated that the 22-year-old was approached by a man exhibiting "abnormal behavior" on Monday, and the same individual was "recognized in the front row of Emma's match" on Tuesday. Raducanu reported the situation to the chair umpire, and 14th seed Muchova comforted her before the man was escorted off Court 3.
On Wednesday, the British player posted on Instagram, saying: "Thank you for all of your supportive messages. It was a difficult experience yesterday, but I’m okay and proud of myself for coming back out on court and competing after. Thank you to Karolina for her sportsmanship and wish her well for the rest of the tournament."
Following the incident, Raducanu returned to the court to applause from the crowd and continued the match, eventually losing 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. The man was "subsequently removed" from the stadium and has been banned from all WTA events "pending a threat assessment." It is understood that Raducanu has since left Dubai, prioritizing her safety and well-being.
In 2022, a man who walked 23 miles to Raducanu's London home was given a five-year restraining order. The WTA stated: "Player safety is our priority and we have advised the tournament organizers to implement the best safety measures for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support. We will continue to work with tournament organizers and their security teams globally to maintain a safe environment for all players."
The Dubai Tennis Championships said it "fully supports" the WTA's statement and the actions subsequently taken by the governing body of women's tennis. "The tournament security team worked in co-ordination with the WTA security team to actively identify and immediately remove the individual in question from the stadium," the tournament organizers said. "We support the WTA's decision to ban the individual from all WTA events and uphold the tour's long-standing commitment to player welfare, safety and wellbeing. We thank Emma for her contribution to this year's tournament and look forward to welcoming her back in the future."
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the British governing body, said it had been in contact with Raducanu and her team in Dubai. "This incident again highlights the security challenges that all players, but particularly women players, may face," the LTA said. "The tours have robust processes in place and we will continue to work with the police and security providers to robustly address such situations."
